Whether you fancy burgers, sushi, vegan feasts or brownies, there is something for you to love at the festival (from July 18-21, 2019)
When Latitude first put roots down in 2006, little could the organisers have predicted it would go on to become one of the best in the UK. It's grown at a staggering rate, and can now attract pretty epic headliners across its multiple stages. But it's not just music, theatre, comedy and the arts which have flourished over the past 13 years - the food offering today cannot be compared to those humble beginnings over a decade ago. And that's largely due to the fact Street Feast has come on board, curating an edible landscape of some of the most exciting, drool-worthy stallholders, and creating what must be one of the very best street food platforms in the country…if only for a few days.
If you're off to Henham Park near Southwold next week for the event (headlined by George Ezra, Stereophonics and Lana Del Rey) read on to find exactly what you can sink your teeth into!
THE HOTHOUSE
Imagine if you will, a Victorian glasshouse, combined with a French brocante…now you're part way to understanding what this, Latitude's very own restaurant, is like. The foodie oasis, coloured by lush potted plants, is housed in a converted polytunnel and hosts a very eclectic rota of chefs, who've created special menus just for your delectation. Overlooking the childrens' area and Faraway Forest, The Hothouse is by booking only. Simply email with your mobile number and the day and time you'd like to eat and they'll get back to you. While food is a little more expensive than you'll pay from the standing street food vans, it's so worth it because the menus burst with flavour.
Boneless jerk chicken with rice and peas, pineapple and pimento chutney, seasonal salad and jerk gravy from Boxfood Caribbean. Blythburgh pork belly bao buns, and pad Thai fries with chilli, coriander and miso caramel from Guerilla Kitchen. Platters of Keralan cauliflower, chickpea and coconut curry and more from Yellow Turban Thali. And slow-cooked brisket in spicy chipotle sauce with pickled onion, coriander and tomatillo salsa from The Taco Kitchen…what are you waiting for?
FOR VEGETARIANS AND VEGANS
Most of the food stalls at Latitude will have plant-based options, but if you want great choice, these are the ones to make a beeline to.
Biff's Jack Shack: Jackfruit's become a bit of a buzz ingredient in the world of plant-based eating, and these guys are totally doing it justice. Their award-winning vegan 'junk food' includes jackfruit 'wings' covered in hot sauce with salad, and surprisingly meaty-textured jackfruit burgers with the works. Don't miss out on the Bang Fries…their version of poutines.
Dosa Deli: An award-winning stall selling those huge, paper-thin lentil-based flatbreads, stuffed to the brim with interesting fillings. The chilli cheese dosa wrap flows over with spiced paneer, tomato and roasted channa dhal chutney, fresh onions and tamarind, apple and date chutney, for example. Don't miss out on the fresh, crispy, fruity bhel puri either.
Happy Maki: A business that really has made a commitment to being a 'friendlier trader'. They specialise in vegan sushi wraps, packed with Oriental flavours, while being completely original. All the packaging is compostable, and for every wrap sold 7p goes to Mary's Meals (a charity helping put food in front of children in need), and 8pm is given to the Eden Reforestation Project. Wraps (covered in seaweed) include the Thai Sweet Potato, with sweet potato wedges, roasted coconut, avocado, cucumber, red pepper, coriander and terikyaki sauce.
Peckish Peacock: Filling, hearty, healthy boxes of nom. The Special Box packs chickpea and spinach curry with cumin rice, pakoras, chutneys, mini poppadoms and herbs, or opt for a lunch box of curry with chutney and cumin rice, a wholewheat chapatti wrap stuffed with curry or even a veggie breakfast bap, filled with free-range egg, homemade vegetarian sausage, buttered spinach and mushrooms.
Popdogs: Hot dogs…but not as you know them. These stonkers look exactly like their meat counterparts but are 100% plant-based…without any compromise on flavour. Check out Jamaican Me Horny - a smoked sieten sausage with homemade slaw and jerk barbecue sauce, and The Hairy Angel - a homemade 'cheese' and leek sausage lifted by a dollop of chilli jam.
The Cheese Wheel: A little bit of kitchen theatre is at play here. Their hand rolled tagliatelle is tossed in your choice of creamy white wine, creamy mushroom or creamy tomato sauce. Then…(not traditionally vegetarian but many veggies eat it anyway) you can choose to have the pasta popped in a giant wheel of grana pradano and spun for extra cheesiness.
Urban Falafel: Gluten-free Lebanese falafels served in wraps or in a box with your choice of salad, pickles, olives and sauce.
Zoe's Ghana Kitchen: If you plan on dancing the night away, the substantial boxes of food here will keep you going till the last band strolls off the stage. Tuck into spiced beans with fried plantain and rice, vegan bean wraps, and quinoa salads.
FOR MEAT LOVERS
Got a hankering for a chicken wings, a giant burger oozing cheese or a slab of steak? You've come to the right place.
Up in my Grill: A glorious celebration of grass-fed steak, sourced from Mount Grace farm in Yorkshire and dry aged in a Himalayan salt room. All the cuts, from bavette to the top rump picanha, are cooked to perfection over sustainable English wood and charcoal before being dished up with hand cut fries and punchy chimichurri sauce.
The Duck Truck: Who doesn't love a duck pancake? Here they're pretty huge, packing crispy duck, cucumber and spring onion ribbons and hoi sin sauce into a wrap. But that's not all. Also on the menu are delectable duck fat chips, and often a brioche duck roll, or simply confit duck and chips with a sprinkle of rosemary rock salt.
Flank: Nose to tail cooking at its best. If the London outlet is anything to go by this is a mecca to meat. Think crispy pigs' ears with sesame and peanut sauce, shredded brisket buns, ox cheek dumplings, fried chicken thigh sandwiches with spicy chilli sambal, and twice cooked baked potato chips.
Growlers: Sometimes food isn't meant to be pretty. It's designed to drip down your arms and make your eyes light up. This place takes inspiration from Portuguese-style pregos sandwiches. It's essentially a simple offering of tenderised Scottish steak in crusty rolls, with buttery, juiciness. The business is aiming to be zero waste and uses compostable napkins and boxes.
The Fry-Up Police: One of the only local traders, they've only just been added to the bill so are still working out exactly what they'll offer, but recent street food treats have included the Fupping Pig Burger - their award-winning sausagemeat patty, smoked bacon, American cheese, caramelised onions and FUP special sauce, and The Pig Fupper - sausage, bacon, crispy potato bits, American cheese, fried onions and baconnaise.
Northfield Farm: An award-winning butcher, they've got a list of no-nonsense classics here, from their own burgers and dry-cured bacon rolls, to sausage rolls. Look out too for specials like steak rolls or pork and stilton burgers.
Burger and Beyond: Recognised as one of the best burger vans in the country, they don't much about too much here, working with a few key, premium ingredients for a delicious end product. The cheeseburger boasts a 45-day aged patty, double American cheese, pickled onion and smoky mayo, while the Hot Mess is a meeting of patty, pepper jack cheese jalapenos and chipotle mayo.
Salt Shed: What started as a project testing out their own salt beef and barbecued dishes on friends has become a growing business dedicated to producing awesome beefy goodness. Every single bite is meat heaven. Try the signature Montreal pastrami brisket in a toasted egg bun with honey mustard barbecue sauce, fresh slaw and sweet dill pickles, or the toasted Brick Lane beigel with London cured salt beef, melted butter, English mustard, sweet pickles and blow torched English cheddar.
Red's True BBQ: Epic barbecue foods served at locations across the UK. Their standard menu includes pulled pork sandwich in brioche with slaw and apple slaw, and a bacon cheeseburger with smoked bacon, Unholy BBQ sauce, salad, gherkin and Dirty Sauce…line-up to see what's on offer this year at Latitude.
Truffle: Everything on the menu plays on the owner's love of that most luxurious of ingredients - the truffle. Options could include the burger, with smoked bacon, crispy shallots, fig jam, raclette cheese and truffle mayo, beef shin nuggets with house pickles and truffle mayo, or even chips with cheese and truffle gravy. Sophisticated!
Tucka Burger: Having met in Australia and then both moved to London, the guys behind this burger van quit their day jobs to dedicate their time to one of their favourite foods. The offering is nice and simple. Just dry-aged patties in proper buns served either Oz style with lettuce, tomatoes, burger sauce and pickled red onion, or in the Mark Tuckaburger - with onion jam, smoked bacon, sriracha mayo and barbecue sauce.
TASTE THE WORLD
From Venezuelan and Caribbean, to Thai and Tibetan, you can explore other countries and cultures through their cuisine at this year's Latitude.
Only Jerkin: If you love jerk chicken this is the place for you. Head on over to sample their signature fried jerk chicken nuggets, wrapped in ginger beer batter, with jerk sweet potato fries, creamy coleslaw and homemade dips or gravy.
Taste Tibet: A Guardian and BBC Good Food Top Ten Pick. From their traditional Tibetan summer picnicking tent, they serve up their legendary momo dumplings (vegan or beef), and a mouthwatering spread of gluten-free Himalayan curries, which include a range of vegan options, from spinach and chickpea, to potato and pea. Chuck on their home-made chilli dips, which contain peppercorns from Tibet, and wash down with their amazing chai tea, made with fresh ginger and their unique blend of crushed whole spices.
Anna Mae's: Legendary mac and cheese from one of the forerunners in the UK to transform the humble homestyle comfort food into an Insta-trend. Cooking from a 1986 GMC Vandura, the mobile kitchen cooks out of a giant cast iron skillet from scratch every day. There's everything from the basic Annie Mac, up to The Kanye Western, with beef hot dog, homemade barbecue sauce and crispy onions.
Bangwok: Dong's proper Thai street food cooked from the back of his tuk tuk. There are usually curries and snacks, but what you really want to try is the pad thai which is as authentic as it comes, laden with chicken, noodles and bean sprouts.
Kolkati: Addictive Kolkata style rolls of paratha bread stuffed with chicken or paneer and salad. On the side you have to grab some masala fries. And you simply must try their cheesy onion bhajis, which have a gorgeous melty middle.
Maktacha: Indo-Malay cooking is on show here, where the offerings include anything from chicken in a thick, coconutty rending sauce, to eight hour pulled beef rending and barbecued, lemongrass and organic palm sugar glazed chicken with homemade peanut sauce.
Paellaria: An award-winning and very colourful stall simply serving chicken and chorizo or vegetable paella from giant cast iron pans. There are marinated Spanish olives too…and homemade lemonade.
Petare: Venezuelan food is still a hot topic in the food world, and perhaps one of the most accessible dishes is the arepa - a folded cornmeal flatbread - as sold by Petare. The breads are filled with family-inspired recipes, be that dry-aged beef brisket with feta, plantain, avocado and coriander sauce, or their award-winning fried chicken with corn slaw.
Luardos: Higher-welfare meat is used in all the dishes that roll out of this Mexican street food stall, run out of a Citroen H van. They make everything from scratch, including tostadas filled with ceviche, guacamole and herbs, and blue cornmeal tortillas with pork and red onions.
Babek Brothers: Travelling around the world, eating the best kebabs, this duo were inspired to start their own business dedicated to the culinary art. Every kebab started with fresh, fluffy flatbreads, with fillings including the Kim Koftashian (lamb kofta, garlic yoghurt, smoky relish, pickled onions, charred pepper and salad), to Tikka Turkna (spiced tikka chicken breast, garlic yoghurt, aubergine chutney, pickled onion and salad). There are feta mint fries too. And interesting cocktails and craft beers.
Raclette Brothers: If you've been skiing in the Alps you may well have come across this delicacy before and these folk have gone to town to make it spectacular. Potatoes, British charcuterie, beef bourguinon or honey roasted vegetables are dished up before being smothered with gooey, molten, runny, just-toasted raclette cheese, made in Bermondsey to a Swiss recipe. Oh, and they sometimes sell homemade potato buns filled with brisket, raclette, burnt shallot mayo, house pickles and rocket.
Rainbo: Tokyo comes to the UK as Rainbo craft handmade Asian bites from their 1948 Ford pick up. Signature dishes range from gyoza with pickled mooli, dipping sauce and chilli oil, to breaded chicken with homemade katsu sauce, sticky rice, Asian slaw and house pickles, and triple dipped Japanese purple sweet potato fries with crushed wasabi pea and Rainbo spice coating and a citrusy ponzu dipping sauce.
Slingin' Po' Boys: A New Orleans favourite. French-style crusty bread is filled with signature Cajun chicken, blackened shrimp or braised beef. Take some Cajun fries on the side.
The Cooking Cooks: Homemade pasta with a bit of sass. How do you like yours? Perhaps pappardelle with pulled pork ragu? Or cuttle fish ink conchiglie with salmon cream and peas? Or how about homemade ravioli filled with ricotta, mozzarella and Parma ham, drenched in cherry tomatoes, basil and garlic?
Krapow: The owner's favourite hangover cure when he was in northern Thailand was the crispy, spicy, salty snack that is krapow moo. And he was so enamoured with the dish he's made a business out of it. Unleash all your senses with a box of the spicy mince and rice, topped with a runny fried egg. Other dishes include Pow Pow chicken wings with a sweet and spicy garlic and fish sauce glaze, and buttermilk fried chicken.
Laffa: The Middle East is where the heart of the food dished up from this converted horsebox lies, with the kitchen drawing influence from Beirut to Tel Aviv. The laffa (flatbreads) come drenched in homemade sauces and toppings, such as aubergine and halloumi, and Jerusalem spiced chicken. You can also get salad boxes and often pots of rose harissa nuts.
Yum Bun: A favourite on the London street food scene. If you've never had bao buns before go and check out these sweet, fluffy, bouncy little pillows. They're steamed and filled to order with anything from slow roast pork, cucumber, spring onion and hoi sin, to crispy tofu, black bean mayo, garlic choy sum and chilli pickles. There are steamed dumplings as well, plus usually some interesting drinks, such as ginger kombucha and passion fruit iced jasmine tea.
PIZZA
Families especially will be pleased to see lots of options for pizza at the festival - ideal for children who prefer something a bit plainer than the rest of the street food on offer. Your nose will take you to the closest one…follow the smell of wood fire and cheese.
Baked in Brick: Mini Coopers open out to reveal the wood-fired ovens that power the operation here. The pies are Neapolitan in style, with a thin, cheesy middle and bubbling charred, risen crust. They also offer wood-fired meat wraps, such as barbecued chicken tikka in flatbread with salad and homemade hot sauce.
Baz and Fred: The team cook from a Chadwik Oven, designed by owner Baz's godfather Dan. All the dough is made for the event with Italian flour and fresh yeast, being proved for 72 hours before it's shaped, topped and cooked for five minutes. There's all the classic toppings, plus specialities like seasonal courgette with goats' cheese, fresh chilli, tomato sauce, garlic and parsley oil, rocket and fresh basil.
Born and Raised: A Land Rover Defender is the vehicle of choice to run this wood-fired pizza business from. Head chef Tom trained under Gary Rhodes and strives to create exciting toppings, using as much locally sourced produce as possible. They include one covered in beef brisket, horseradish cream and watercress, another with Cobble Lane pepperoni, and even a pizza covered with pork shoulder and apple and sage puree.
Fundi: The hand-built wood oven here churns out pizzas in only 90 seconds. Toppings are familiar and friendly, from tomato and mozzarella, to another with smoked mozzarella, pancetta, basil and a Tuscan-style tomato sauce.
Woody's Pizza: Their horsebox is coming all the way up from Cornwall where every pizza is cooked from scratch over sustainable wood, and served on biodegradable plates. Locally sourced, organic ingredients are used where possible to make their pies, from mozzarella and tomato, to spicy fennel sausage with green pepper and red onion, and a Montanara - chorizo, mushrooms, tomato sauce, mozzarella, chilli and rosemary salt.
SWEET STUFF
Because everyone needs cake and ice cream.
Cocoa Caravan: This business was started with the support of the Princes Trust. From biodegradable/compostable packaging you can expect a selection of luxury hot chocolates, barista coffee, tea and homemade cakes with vegan and gluten-free options. It's the hot chocolate that takes centre stage, being made from 100% melted Belgian chocolate and topped with a giant toasted marshmallow. Ideal for warming up as the sun sets.
Love Churros and Los Churros Amigos: Hot, freshly cooked swirls of Spanish dough, sprinkled with sugar and served with dippy chocolate. Yum.
Bad Brownie: The only thing 'bad' about these is they're so good. In fact, dangerously good. Fudgy, rich and packed with decent chocolate, they'll satisfy even the sweetest of teeth. There are gluten-free and vegan versions available, but best sellers are the salted caramel, triple chocolate and peanut butter varieties.
Lickalix: Healthy organic ice lollies made from 100% natural ingredients and free of lactose, dairy, gluten and nuts. As an added bonus, the packaging is marine compostable. Many flavours from the range have won Great Taste Awards, and they can even now be found online via Ocado. Favourite tastes are the Strawberry Lemonade, Citrus Burst and Mango Raspberry Swirl.
Panache: These artisanal ice cream makers are journeying up from Essex with their fabulous flavours and waffles. They like to put a little twist on their desserts, adding in cocktail flavours, so expect to find anything from caramel with bourbon, to strawberry prosecco, and the yummy espresso martini.
The Waffle Float: As well as their own ice cream, the team in this restored vintage milk float make the real-deal Liege Belgian waffles. What sets these apart is the thick, slightly chewy batter, given extra texture from the addition of pearl sugar, which melts, creating irresistible pockets of caramel and crunch when pressed in the iron. A range of toppings and sauces, from toffee sauce to Nutella and banana, is available.
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